Quotes from Liz Carmouche

I seek out people that are experts in their fields and see how I compare with them and if I can hold my own.

After the Ronda fight, I wasn't sure what the UFC held for me. I think coming out of that fight, I didn't know if losing that fight meant that I could get cut because I knew the rumors at the time was how easily fighters could get cut from the UFC.

I started off and I didn't have the advantage like other fighters of having an amateur career to grow and learn and make mistakes. Unfortunately, I spent the early years of my professional career doing that, and I feel like I've learned from all those mistakes.

In society, it's hard for some to view women getting hit. They see the women as different figures rather than as athletes and fighters.

I understand you always want drama leading up to the fight. You want whatever publicity you can get for it. It's more appealing for fans, for media for everything.

I'm constantly pushing myself to evolve and be a better person and the best that I can be and that pushes me in my fighting career and personal life.

I can't freeze when I go in the cage.

Of course, I'm always my biggest critic. So I'll never be completely satisfied with my performance, win or lose, even if I come out with a knockout or submission; I'm still going to wish that I did some things differently.

That's one thing that's always helped me as a fighter is that I haven't focused on one thing, like, 'let's make you a jiu-jitsu fighter' or 'let's make you a Muay Thai fighter.' I had nothing when I started, and we work on everything at the same time.

I had to wonder if I lost out on fight opportunities and sponsorships. But at the end of the day, I'm the one who has to go home at the end of the day and be okay with myself. I have a son. I have to answer to my son.

I think that my story is similar to most women in MMA. You balance work and your fight career. You climb up the ranks just to get into a situation where it can give back to you financially.

I was always a gym rat.

Somebody showed me a fight where somebody had gotten cut on the forehead and was just gushing blood and kept going throughout the fight. I couldn't grasp the concept that anybody would want to do that.

I've definitely been in elements of grappling where I'm tied up and in a weird position and my mouth and my nose are covered and I can't breathe. You still have to be able to escape. The last thing you want to do is tap in that scenario when you have an opportunity to escape.

I hate taking breaks in my training. But I'm having to change that, and let my body heal.

I wouldn't say I'm a social hermit, but pretty close to that.

There's no real hiding from fame.

To me, fighting in Strikeforce was a dream, like saying 'I want to be an astronaut and go to the moon.' You don't think that it's actually is going to happen, you just wish it.

I kind of will over everything. There will be situations where like 'I refuse!'

My training is always the same. A few things might change for me from fight to fight, but it's really the same regimen.

If I get a rematch with somebody, cool, but if they're not holding the belt, I really don't care.

The hype around Ronda is incredible and it's created this aura of invincibility. If you let that play with your mind, you'll be beaten before the bell rings. She's a great fighter, but I know I can beat her and I don't let that aura of invincibility bother me.

When I went to Iraq, I was the lowest person on the totem pole. If everyone else was inside and was relaxing, I was the one working for eight hours straight.

I'll never experience the hardships that I experienced while going to Iraq and being in combat. And that kind of prepared me for life in itself because I knew that if I was able to overcome the military and do three tours and come out alive and stronger for it, then there's nothing in life that's ever going to challenge me and be able to break me.